Jinzhong Lin studies the ribosome, a complex molecular machine that produces proteins in cells according to the instructions carried in the messenger RNA. His research has led to a greater understanding of both how the ribosome is made and how it works at the molecular level.

After his PhD training, Dr. Lin joined the laboratory of Dr. Keqiong Ye at National Institute of Biological Science in China, where he elucidated the molecular details of how one of the major modifications of ribosomal RNA, 2’-O methylation, is carried out by the large box C/D ribonucleoprotein complex. Using multidisciplinary research tools, he also discovered a novel evolutionary connection between the transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA processing machineries.

To deepen the understanding of how the ribosome works, Dr. Lin continued his research in the laboratory of Professor Thomas Steitz at Yale University. He, along with colleague Matthieu Gagnon, devised a novel approach to crystallize the bacterial ribosomes in complex with GTPases, an important class of protein factors that assists the ribosome by catalyzing key steps of protein synthesis. This allowed them to obtain high-resolution structural snapshots of functional ribosome complexes, providing significant insights into the molecular mechanisms of protein synthesis by the ribosome.

“It is increasingly evident that deregulation of mRNA translation in eukaryotes plays a fundamental role in tumorigenesis. I plan to expand my ribosome research into the molecular mechanisms of eukaryotic translational regulation.”

About The Blavatnik Family Foundation

The Blavatnik Family Foundation is an active supporter of world-renowned educational, scientific, cultural, and charitable institutions in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, and throughout the world. The foundation is headed by Len Blavatnik, a major American and British entrepreneur and philanthropist and the founder and Chairman of Access Industries, a privately-held U.S. industrial group with global strategic interests in natural resources and chemicals, media and telecommunications, real estate, and venture capital.